Data transfers between devices such as computers and peripheral devices, including portable media devices, have become ubiquitous over the last several years. Music, phone numbers, video, and other data are moved among these devices, often using universal serial bus (USB), FireWire™, DisplayPort™, or other types of cables. Such cables are used to form electrical pathways for signals that carry this information between devices.
These electrical connections are typically formed by inserting a connector plug on each end of a data cable and inserting into connector receptacles located on each of the computer and peripheral device. A typical connector plug includes a distal plug portion having one or more contact terminals and a proximal base portion, such as a boot member, by which a user grasps the connector plug to insert or withdraw the distal plug portion into a compatible receptacle.
In many industries, connectors must comply with certain design standards, such as the Universal Serial Bus (USB) Standard, which require that the construction of a given connector adheres to particular specifications, which may include dimensions, materials and/or material thicknesses. Often, connectors, such as USB connectors for example, include a shield shell to reduce interference near the contact terminals and a boot member that protects the connection between the cable and the contact terminals as well as provides the user with a grasping surface for inserting and removing the distal plug portion. Given the above constraints in connector design, conventional connectors typically include a boot member having a substantially larger profile than that of the shield shell, and often include a transitional zone or gap between the shield shell and the boot member. Such conventional connectors may appear bulky and the increased profile of the boot member may prevent the use of multiple connectors in close proximity. In many connector plugs, the applicable design standards limit the ability customize and alter the plug as desired, and attempts to modify connector plugs within the design standard may compromise the strength and durability of the connector.